Chapter 346: Shielding Her
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation
Impostor?
Madam Xu’s heart pounded. Who was the impostor?
She looked at Lu Chao Chao, who felt her mother’s gaze and lifted her head, giving her a toothy grin.
Madam Xu’s hand trembled, nearly spilling her tea.
“My dear child, I have searched for you for so long that I have become a cripple. My only wish in this lifetime was to reunite with you. Now that I have seen you, I can die without regret.” The old madam’s eyes were red and swollen, her face showing traces of affection.
Shi Yun lowered her head slightly, clutching her handkerchief, dabbing at the corners of her eyes without a word.
Xu Shi Yun sighed softly. “I once thought you would never forgive the Emperor of the Southern Kingdom.”
“Though you have no parents, the people of Peach Source Village raised you. They hold a grace over you as vast as the heavens.”
The old madam’s expression darkened slightly as she tightened her grip on Shi Yun’s hand.
She glanced at the nannies standing behind her. “Leave us. I wish to speak with my daughter alone.”
The nannies exchanged glances, but when the old madam’s tone grew heavier, they hurriedly bowed and retreated, though they remained just outside the door.
The old madam let out a bitter smile.
“You see for yourself; my life is not easy. Though I once saved the Emperor and had a connection with him, what does it amount to in the face of power?”
“My child, only if you gain favor will our days improve.”
“The deep sea of hatred… I can only swallow my broken teeth and endure it.”
“You must fight for your place, for both our sakes.” The old madam wiped her tears, her frail figure appearing utterly pitiful.
“Look at me, unwilling to let go even for a moment. Your father awaits you in the palace.”
“Go now. We can talk more tonight.”
Her reluctance was evident.
Xu Shi Yun rose, not speaking much, only bowing slightly before saying, “I will visit you again after I enter the palace.”
Madam Xu led the group out of the hall. From within, the muffled sobs of the old madam could still be heard, as if she had endured great suffering for her daughter’s future.
In the front courtyard, Nan Mu Bai was drinking tea. Seeing her emerge so soon, he raised a brow in surprise, expecting her to linger much longer.
“Let us enter the palace and greet Imperial Grandfather first,” Nan Mu Bai said, arranging the palace visit.
Before Madam Xu could board the carriage, a desperate voice came from inside it.
“Old madam, the lady will return soon. Please be patient. Today is a mother-daughter reunion; you must not act rashly.”
Madam Ning was nearly jumping out of the carriage in distress.
Seeing her emerge in a panic, she hastily jumped down, her slightly crippled leg causing her to wince in pain. Yet she dared not pause, rushing to Shi Yun’s side, grasping her hand, and inspecting her from head to toe.
“I’m fine, I’m fine. I haven’t been harmed. See? I’ve come out perfectly whole.” Shi Yun felt a warmth spread through her heart.
Madam Ning’s eyes were filled with barely concealed terror.
She warily glanced toward the Ning Manor and pulled Shi Yun onto the carriage.
“Did you scream again? Your throat is injured. You cannot shout. If you rest properly, you might still regain your voice,” Shi Yun said, noticing the blood at the corner of her lips, instantly knowing she had lost control again.
Madam Ning ignored her own pain, pointing frantically at the Ning Manor before shaking her head with force.
“No… no…” The moment she forced out a single word, her throat filled with the taste of blood.
“Stop talking! Your throat is severely injured,” Shi Yun tried to stop her.
But Madam Ning stubbornly shook her head. “Fake… fake…” She was so desperate that tears began streaming down her face.
Lu Chao Chao leaned on the carriage’s edge. “Are you saying the old madam inside… is a fake?”
Madam Ning froze, then nodded vigorously.
Tears flowed uncontrollably as she whimpered toward Shi Yun.
The heavens knew how terrified she had been upon waking and seeing the carriage parked outside Ning Manor. It was as if her soul had nearly escaped her body.
Lu Chao Chao secretly poured some spiritual spring water into a kettle. “Drink some water.”
Madam Ning initially refused, but the little girl stared at her with big, expectant eyes, so she reluctantly gulped it down.
As the water traveled down her throat, the searing pain eased, and even the burning sensation in her wounds lessened.
Shi Yun found it strange.
For some reason, the woman before her felt more like the real thing than the one inside Ning Manor.
Unknowingly, she was drawn to her.
Crash—
Madam Xu’s teacup hit the floor.
Her mind went blank. What had she just heard?
Chao Chao’s inner thoughts…
Grandmother?
Buried alive, throat silenced, face disfigured?
She stared blankly at the weeping old woman before her. Not a single patch of intact skin remained on her body. She had barely escaped death…
“Mother, why are you crying?” Lu Chao Chao whispered.
Shi Yun sobbed uncontrollably, gripping Madam Ning’s hand tightly.
No wonder. No wonder every time she looked into those eyes, her heart ached.
No wonder Ning Manor had always felt off, so out of place.
It was because the woman inside was an impostor.
Her birth mother had been right beside her all along!
Just imagining the torment she had endured sent shivers down her spine.
How had she survived?
Thirty-six years of hiding from assassins while searching for her daughter. When the Emperor found her, she had believed she would be saved.
Instead, she had fallen into another abyss.
Imprisoned, persecuted, replaced.
But who would shield her?
Seeing the worry in Madam Ning’s eyes, Shi Yun forced a smile. “I’m fine. You just remind me of my birth mother.”
“She must be just like you.”
Madam Ning froze, reaching to touch her own face, suddenly afraid to acknowledge the truth.
“Aunt, we have arrived at the palace gates. Please step down.”
The royal guards strictly controlled entry, and carriages were not permitted inside.
Lu Chao Chao pouted. “In North Zhao, I never had to walk.”
“Dogs are not allowed in the palace,” Nan Mu Bai blocked Windchaser.
Lu Chao Chao grew angrier. This place was terrible—it should just be destroyed!
“Big Brother will carry you.” Lu Yan Shu quickly picked her up before she lost her temper.
“If they don’t let my carriage in next time, I won’t come!” Lu Chao Chao grumbled.
Nan Mu Bai chuckled. “No one in the Southern Kingdom has such privileges. This is not North Zhao.”
“Where’s my gift? Quickly bring my gift! These small stones were handpicked by Chao Chao…”
“The biggest, brightest, most beautiful ones…” Nan Mu Bai’s brow furrowed.
“Why bring these into the palace? The royal family cannot afford such humiliation!”
Lu Chao Chao pouted. “Whether you accept it or not is your choice, but giving a gift is Chao Chao’s etiquette.” She huffed. If they refused, she wouldn’t even give them the chance!
The group proceeded toward the main hall.
Unlike North Zhao, the palace walls of the Southern Kingdom were adorned with intricate ritualistic patterns, all seemingly tied to sacred ceremonies.
The atmosphere here was far more solemn than North Zhao.
Even palace servants were selected strictly based on their birth charts.
At the very heart of the palace stood a massive sacrificial altar.
Nan Mu Bai pointed at it. “Summoning the gods happens here.”
“And every Emperor’s succession is held here as well.”
“Hurry along, Imperial Grandfather is waiting.”